Iron Maiden

[RabidAlien]

Did a quick search of the thread, but didn't see anything, so sorry if this is answered elsewhere. I'm not a big music aficionado, usually only have it on for background ambiance while driving or mowing or at the gym. But I've come to notice that Iron Maiden has several war-related songs (apparently one of their guys is a big history/military buff). I've gotten "Paschendale", "The Trooper", and "Aces High" from Amazon, but was wondering if there was a comprehensive list somewhere that listed all of their war-related songs...most of the titles I've run across seem to be military-themed (except for "Number of the Beast", of course...unless that one's about Hitler). Anyhoo...does anyone know of a list, or if it was just a small handful of songs that fall into this category?

 

[Coors9]

Not sure about a list but I love Iron Maiden. Ya got me singing "Women in Uniform".....lol. This from a Dean Martin lover.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I will get you a list later when I have a bit more time. They have quite a few songs that are military/war related.

I am a big big fan of Iron Maiden. I have seen live in concert many times, the last time being back in May in Frankfurt, Germany.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Adler, aren't most of there songs history related?

 

[RabidAlien]

Thanks, Adler. I've never really been big on the heavy-metal bands, preferring more along the lines of Bon Jovi and GnR, but I'm really liking the songs I have of theirs.

And, for the heavy-metal geeks out there: ThinkGeek :: Heavy Metal

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Adler, aren't most of there songs history related?

Quite a few are.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Lets see, here is a list of "military/war" themed songs by Iron Maiden:

Name of Song (Military/War Topic or Theme)

Run to the Hill (Sioux Wars)
The Trooper (Charge of the Light Brigade)
Where Eagles Dare (Inspired by the Film)
Aces High (Battle of Britain)
Tailgunner (WW2 Bombing)
Run Silent, Run Deep (About Submarine Warfare)
Fortunes of War (About coming home from war and all the psychological problems)
The Edge of Darkness (based on Apocolypse Now)
The Aftermath (the price of war)
The Clansman (About the Scottish wars with Britain)
Como Estais Amigos (The Falklands War)

Other songs by other Metal bands with military or war themes:

Metallica - For Whom the Bell Tolls (Ernest Hemingway novel about the horrors of war)
Metallica - Disposable Heroes (About the toll of war and a soldiers thoughts)
Metallica - No Remorse (About having no remorse in combat)
Metallica - One (Based on Johnnies Got a Gun)
Metallica - Blackened (About Nuclear War)
Iced Earth - 1776 (The Revolutionay War)
Iced Earth - Declaration Day (The Revolutionary War)
Iced Earth - Red Baron (The Red Baron)
Iced Earth - Gettysburg 1863 (Epic 36 minute long song about the battle)


I can probably come up with a list of a thousand good metal songs about military/war, but that will take forever...

 

[evangilder]

I saw Iron Maiden for the Killers tour many years ago. It was a great show! They do have a lot of history/military themes and Bruce Dickinson is a pilot, so that's a plus.

 

[RabidAlien]

Thanks, Adler, I'll get started looking for those! Definitely NOT metal, but Johnny Horton did a lot of good Civil War ballads, and one or two WW2 or War of 1812 songs (off the top of my head): Battle of New Orleans, Sink the Bismark, Johnny Reb, etc. Good stuff.

 

[Coors9]

Ira Hayes.......Johnny C.

 

[RabidAlien]

Nice. Thanks for posting that, Coors, I hadn't heard it before.

Should we start a sticky-thread about history/war-related songs (barring, of course, all the hippy tree-hugger-war-sucks songs...and anything by the Beatles)?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Go for it.

 

[RabidAlien]

Got it started, just need someone to sticky it.

 

[Crimea_River]

How a Blue Oyster Cult Me 262.

Yes I'm old!

 

[Freebird]

But I've come to notice that Iron Maiden has several war-related songs (apparently one of their guys is a big history/military buff).

I saw Iron Maiden for the Killers tour many years ago. It was a great show! They do have a lot of history/military themes and Bruce Dickinson is a pilot, so that's a plus.

I didn't know that Dickinson was a pilot, but he IS a huge tank buff, and has in fact been in a couple of tank shows on TV (Tank battle maybe?)

There are a couple of videos of him driving various tanks, this one in a T-34

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrPTqXRf-hk

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I didn't know that Dickinson was a pilot

Yeah, when he is not in the studio or touring, he flies for an airline. He also pilots the band's 757 "Ed Force One/Flight 666" that they use to tour around the world.

 

[nuuumannn]

A bit behind here, I am. I'm a big Maiden fan; seen them in concert in Glasgow at the Barrowlands many years ago. Bruce and drummer Nico McBrain are both pilots, although Bruce is the only one with an ATPL. He flies for Astraeus as a 757 captain. To add to your list of Maiden military songs - "The longest day" from their album A Matter of Life and Death is about D-Day - named after the movie of the same title, also on that album, "Brighter than a thousand suns" is about nuclear war.

On another bunch of musos with aviation connections; Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason used to both own a de Havilland Dove; Dave also owned Intrepid Aviation at North Weald. I'm not sure if he's sold his collection off.

 

[RabidAlien]

Forgot to mention "99 Red Balloons" by Nena, about a nuclear war. "London Calling" (The Clash) is also about the aftermath of a nuclear war.

 

[A4K]

Also by Iron Maiden - Invaders (I always presumed viking related); Megadeth have a number of songs nuclear war related, and The Beatles' 'Yellow submarine' I heard was about life after a nuclear war, the survivors having to live in submarines...

 

[nuuumannn]

and The Beatles' 'Yellow submarine' I heard was about life after a nuclear war, the survivors having to live in submarines...

That's interesting, I didn't know that. I remember singing it innocently at primary school quite happily; "weee aaalll live ina Yee loww submariiine, a Yee loww submariiine, a Yee low submariiiiiiine" "weee aaalll die ina Yee loww submariiine..."